Two Story Bookstore: A Short Story

I wrote this after walking through a Border's store while they were playing Johnny Cash's, "1 Corinthians 15:55." Hope you enjoy.

"Two Story Bookstore" by Ciera Ramirez

"Come on," I say as I take his hand through the two gigantic doors of the two story Barnes and Noble.

"What are we doing here? Did you want to buy a book," he asks with a hint of "Is this really your idea of a first date? A bookstore?" in his voice.

"You'll see," I reply with a confident smile. A smile only a woman can give a man. The kind that makes him feel like she's wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiles back.

We make our way to the center of the first story. From here we are surrounded by print that can take you to any place and time; print that can introduce you to characters you never thought existed. The music that is playing in the background is Johnny Cash. If he doesn't get a kick out of this, at least he'll enjoy the music.

"Okay, stand in this aisle and count to 76. Then come find me."

"Alright," he replies chuckling with a bit of awkwardness. "One, two, ten, twenty-six..."

I spring out of the aisle almost knocking over a couple whom I recognize. They come in to eat at least once a week and they expect everyone to know where they must sit and what they want to eat. Oh yeah, because I have no life and the world stops just so you can be satisfied. Ha ha, oops! "Sorry," I say as I rush past them. I turn back and see the same miserable expression that's pretty much tattooed to her face.

"Time's running out," I think as I dart into the elevator. Where should I go? Does it make any difference? Wherever I go, I feel intelligent, radiant, even beauty. He'll never find me in the children's books. I sneak past the Teen Series and try not to let him see me as he comes up the escalator.

I sit down and find myself in what looks like Seussical The Musical. Yeah, he'll never find me here.

"Found you," he says. Darn. He smiles and looks at me with his bright eyes. I'm short of breath. Like I've been running to him. Only he found me and I feel like a princess being rescued in a Grimm's fairytale.

"How did you know?"

"You love reading so I knew it'd be a challenge, but a good one." We're walking on opposite sides of the audio books and he catches my eye from across the bookcase. We smile and he says, "You're also pretty random and imaginative so I had a gut feeling to come here. Now it's my turn. Count to forty-five." He takes off.

I begin to count as he disappears. He's gone. I look to my left and there's a woman reading to her son. She's reading Harold And The Purple Pen. I don't know what part she's reading to him but he begins to squeal with laughter. She looks at her son with love and awe. I want that. I want my children to know Lewis, Sendak, Cleary, Tolkien, Conolly, even those of whom I have never heard. I'd even let my teenage daughter read the Twilight Saga as long as she's reading, as long as she feels something.

Oh yeah..forty-five.

I walk through the store beginning my quest to find him. I browse Religious... ha ha, I only wish he was there but no. Then it's cooking. He likes cooking but no cigar. Then it's Romance and Relationships. Am I walking away from my innocence to find him? No and that's a relief.

Standing from the top of the escalator, it hits me where he could be and there he is in the music section. He has a book on McPherson guitars. Music is the guy's life and sometimes that scares me. My dad was a musician. Enough said. He looks happy- like a pic is strumming his heart strings. I sit down on the moving steps and sigh- a big one at that. I'm enamored. The lady in front of me turns and it's the same woman I nearly tackled from earlier.

"Hi," I say with an ear to ear grin. She gives me a dirty look that almost makes me feel bad and continues on to the first floor. Secretly, I delight in the fact she hates me. I peak around the book case to see he's under the book's spell. Cash is still playing, "Oh death, where is thy sting?" There's too much happiness for any sting right now.

"Hey," he smiles and comes up and meets me and the end of the aisle and takes my hand.

"I had fun," I say looking into his eyes.

"Yeah for sure. Me too," he says and kisses me gently.

The End